Feelings
by lana.senpai627
Summary: When Tamaki realizes his feelings for Haruhi, he doesn't know what to do. He tries to follow his heart, but always ends up back where he started. Will he keep his love bottled up? Or will he confess his feelings, not worried about what it might to do to their friendship?
1. Chapter 1

"What now?" Haruhi Fujioka pondered. The Host Club's last celebration of the cherry blossoms had come and gone, leaving the club somber. She and Kyoya Ootori, a senior who was a flagship member of Ouran Highschool Host Club, was helping her clean up after the day's festivities.

"Well Haruhi, in about three and a half weeks, Mori and Honey will graduate and continue to university. Then Tamaki and I will be the leaders. After that, then Hikaru and Kaoru will be the dual kings, and you can also be a leader if you wish." Kyoya stated. He was always on task, always knowing what was going on and what would happen next. Sometimes he could be exhausting.

"What university are you planning to go to, Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi asked, sweeping pink flowers off off the floor with a broom bigger than her. Kyoya gave her a puzzled look. Haruhi's face felt warm. "I didn't mean to pry." She said looking both at Kyoya and the floor. "It is quite alright." Kyoya-senpai said. "My father and I have some disagreements about my education. I don't really know what will be in store for me after the summer holiday."

Haruhi was shocked. Kyoya Ootori did not know what was going on after summer vacation. He was always one to know what to do, especially about schoolwork, with him being at the top of his class.

Tamaki Suou ran into the room, limbs flailing, and mouth open in a larger smile than Haruhi had ever seen before. "OH HARUHI, YOU WERE SO CUTE! THE PINK KIMONO THAT WE DRESSED YOU UP IN WAS ADORABLE!" He grabbed Haruhi in a tight embrace and spun her around the room, laughing. "Stop it Tamaki-senpai! You're making me dizzy!" He hastily set her down on the velvet sofa, bumping her head on the wooden frame. "Ow..." Haruhi rubbed her head. Tamaki sat next to her, cupping her chin. "Oh, Haruhi, I am so sorry that I have hurt your beautiful head. The head with which I so tenderly care for," Tamaki purred, lightly kissing her forehead. Haruhi rolled her coffee colored eyes. "A simple sorry would have been okay. I really need to get back to sweeping up the 10,000 cherry blossom petals that you insisted be scattered across the floor. Thanks for that." She got up and picked the broom right off of the floor and started to push it forward, right where she left off.

"Oh, please. We have cleaning people come every night and pick up our messes. That is the joy that comes with being rich!" With that last word, Tamaki started to spin, taking Haruhi, and Kyoya's hands while he twirled. "Cut it out senpai!" Haruhi said in between tufts of laughter.

"He does have a point," Kyoya said, stopping the break that they had been taking. Haruhi looked confused. "Come on guys, it'll only take us about another fifteen minutes if we all work together. Besides, it feels weird to leave such a big job for people who need to clean the whole school."

Tamaki looked at Haruhi like she wanted to dive into a pit of sharks. The room went silent for the most painfully awkward six seconds any of them have ever endured. "Fine. We will leave the mess to the poor commoners that have to make a living cleaning up the remains of you damn rich people." Haruhi blew a piece of hair out of her face. Tamaki's face lit up, and Kyoya was already halfway out of the door. "How about we go out to a celebratory dinner! This was the club's last big celebration of the year, and it was magical! I will deal with the expenses." They walked out of Music Room Three. Haruhi sighed. You mean your father will deal with the expenses. As soon as that thought finished, Tamaki-senpai's hand grazed her's.


	2. Chapter 2

All seven members of the host club squeezed around an oval-shaped table at the town's finest sushi restaurant, it was Tamaki's choice. For Haruhi, this was new territory. Everybody at the place looked important, and she felt like a child in a casino. Tamaki and the others ordered things that she had never heard of before, and when the waitress came to her, she looked at her menu in panic. "She will have toro. Thank you." Haruhi began to object. "You didn't have to get me the most ex-" "It was my pleasure." Tamaki said with a smile. "I know how you like fancy tuna."

When the food arrived, the table was silent except for the occasional sound of enjoyment . At the end of the meal, Tamaki raised a glass, signifying a toast. Haruhi heard a groan coming from Hikaru and Kaoru. "Well, gang, this year was a wonderful year for the Host Club, we held many successful parties and gained many new clients. We have grown as a club, but also as a family, and to that, I say cheers!" Haruhi clapped, partially because of how meaningful the speech sounded, and partially because she was tired and wanted to get the hell out of there. Honey-senpai looked up at Tamaki, who stood up out of his chair, offering a hand to Haruhi. "Tama-chan, can we get dessert before we leave?" He looked so sad. He has perfected his boy lolita act over his three years at the Host Club. "Mitsukuni, you have four whole cakes at home. you do not need anymore sweets. You may get another cavity." "Okay, Takashi, but only for you!" Honey said with a wink.

"Goodnight everybody. I will see you guys on Monday." Haruhi grabbed her jacket (that was meant for a boy) and left, her hand ruffling through her brown hair.

"Goodbye, my Haruhi dear." Tamaki whispered through his napkin.

After doing some leftover laundry, Haruhi went to bed, satisfied with her earlier meal. She thought about being one of the leaders of the Host Club. Would she change anything? No. She had come to like the overly extravagant nature of the club. Even though she had gotten used to it, she still had her 'commoner tendencies'. The Host Club had often teased Haruhi for her tendencies to leave the music room as they had found it, and not make a big mess for the cleaning people, like what had happened earlier today. Haruhi flushed that embarrassing memory out of her head, and went into a dreamless sleep.

She was excited for club meeting on Monday.


	3. Chapter 3

p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-family: Cambria; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"AN: I know that this is a really short chapter, and I am very sorry, but I am currently filling out highschool applications, so I am pretty busy. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! (More like a paragraph. Again, I am SO sorry!) /span/p  
p style="text-align: left;"span id="docs-internal-guid-6832faf6-bc76-4747-1241-9ea412277d71"br /br /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left;"span style="font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-family: Cambria; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"For Tamaki, Monday went by in a blur. During mathematics class he kept staring intently at the clock, waiting for it to be free period. Free period was club time. When the bell rang, he jumped out of his seat and rushed out the door faster than anyone could close their textbooks. He ran to Music Room three with the sole intent of being the first one there. On his way, he ran into Haruhi. Literally. Ran into her. They collided and both collapsed onto the polished floor. It was harder than it looked. "Oh my gosh, Haruhi! I am so sorry. Did I hurt you?" Tamaki looked at her with a concerned face. With Tamaki's help, Haruhi stood up. "It's alright, Tamaki-senpai. I'll just have a bruise." The blonde paced frenzily around her. "We might as well get you a bandage and some cream to help the bruise, and maybe I should call the school nurse. She shou-" "SENPAI!" Haruhi grabbed his shoulders and shook him gently. "I am okay. It was an accident." Once Haruhi had successfully convinced Tamaki that she was not going to die, the two walked to Music Room three. When the two got situated for the coming guests, Tamaki remembered the reassuring look in Haruhi's eyes, her beautiful grin, etched into his memory./span/p 


	4. Chapter 4

AN: If you guys could please be so kind, it would be fantastic if you guys could PM me ideas or suggestions, as I don't want this to get boring for you guys. I also don't want this fic to be known as an Ouran Host Club version of My Immortal. So spare yourselves and please send me suggestions XD

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

 _Kiss kiss fall in love!_

Haruhi haphazardly reached for her cellphone and put it to her ear.

"Hellumph?"

"Wakey wakey Haruhi!", A suspiciously peppy Tamaki spoke through the phone.

"Senpai, what are you doing up at this hour?" She turned her head and looked at her alarm clock. It read 6:30 AM.

"I woke you up on this fine Saturday morning to take you to breakfast! There is this new restaurant near your dwelling, and I wanted to take you there. You know, to be one with my commoner side."

Haruhi rolled her eyes so hard that she worried that Tamaki could sense it through the phone.

"Alright, no need to be that enthusiastic." She crumpled her sheets between her fingers, wanting to go back to bed. "Is it the new bistro on 7th street? When should I meet you there?" Haruhi held her phone between her shoulder and her chin, walking to her closet, about to choose her outfit. "No need, Haruhi I have a car waiting in the front of your apartment building." The brunette looked out her window to see a deep red Rolls Royce on the cracked pavement below. She dressed in something comfortable, a flowy yellow top, and a pair of jeans. With that, she put on her faded red Converse sneakers. When she walked out her apartment door, she realized what she was about to do. _Is this a date? Am I wearing the right outfit for this occasion? What did Tamaki mean by breakfast?_ All of those thoughts rushed through her head at record timing. When she entered the pristine vehicle about to whisk her away from her home, she thought something she thought she would never have to:

 _It's only Tamaki._

The ride to the restaurant was brief, but Haruhi experienced many new things. She watched her first television show in the back of a car while drinking some foreign soda, and sitting in some unidentified animal's leather. When she arrived at Touka Bistro, Haruhi was immediately led by a young waitress to a booth. When she sat down, she was taken aback by Tamaki's ensemble. He normally sported a school uniform, and while she sometimes saw him in a designer sweater and khakis, this was not his normal attire. He wore a dark gray suit jacket with a blue button-up underneath, which made his violet eyes brighter than ever. Haruhi suddenly felt self conscious about her outfit. "I'm so glad that you could make it so early. I hope I didn't disturb anything." Tamaki rested his chin on his hand, in an effortlessly cool manner. Haruhi only looked down, blushing. "It's okay, senpai. I'm happy that we get to hang out outside of school." Tamaki "I'm glad too, Haruhi." He looked into her eyes. Just for a second. Awkwardly, he reached for a sakura flower clad menu."What would you like to eat?"

If the car ride there was a ten, then breakfast was an eleven. Today must have been the day of new things for Haruhi, because she had so many foods that you couldn't find in the local supermarket.

There were many jokes, accidental hand grazes, and gentle looks. By the end of the meal, Haruhi was startled when she saw that the clock read 10:00.

"Oh my gosh! How is it already ten? We started our meal at seven. I've got to go, senpai. I'm so sorry but I have chores to do, and my dad is probably calling the police right now. Bye!" Haruhi rushed out the door, running home, hoping that Ranka wouldn't be steaming mad.

Tamaki was surprised. He ran out the door, trying his hardest to catch up to Haruhi.

"Haruhi!" He panted, slowing down. "Haruhi…"

He ran as far as he could without passing out.

"Haruhi… I wanted to tell you something"

He walked back to the restaurant, dragging his feet with every step.

"I love you."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

AN: Woah! Last chapter was pretty long! At least, longer than usual… I hoped you guys liked it! PS: Sorry for the long gap between last chapter and this one, I have been pretty busy (*=*)

When Haruhi walked into Ouran Academy's third music room, she instantly felt like she was being watched. She looked around. No one seemed to be in the room. It was normal for her to be early, but there was always at least Kyoya perched on one of the red sofas, jotting something down in his black notebook. He was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, she heard Mozart's Sonata 11 at a deafening volume. It was Tamaki's favorite piece, and he often performed it during club time to impress the ladies. Haruhi looked around to see that behind beige curtains was Tamaki, hunched over a black grand piano passionately played the song.

Haruhi thought to herself. _Has this always been here?_ She looked up at the ornate ceiling, realising what a stupid question that was.

 _This is a music room after all._

She was confused. It was clearly time for the club to be open for business. Why was no one here? She walked toward the raised platform where Tamaki was still tickling the ivories, not noticing her.

"Senpai?" The brunette asked in a voice no louder than a whisper, trying not to disturb him. He stopped abruptly, looking down at the keys while his blonde hair shielded his face from Haruhi. Tamaki slowly looked up at her face, trying to hide his sadness from her. "Haruhi? What are you doing here? Why aren't you in the auditorium?" Today, the Lobelia Academy Zuka Club was a special guest at Ouran. They were doing the same play that Haruhi was forced into. It wasn't mandatory, so she chose not to relive the nightmares. "I didn't want to go. The lines _my lord Frederick_ still haunt my dreams." Haruhi looked at the ground, not sure what to make of this awkward situation. Tamaki smiled weakly. "I don't mean to be rude, but I would prefer to be alone right now. I'm quite confused about how to handle a situation" Haruhi had an understanding look on her face. She looked like she genuinely wanted to help. She always did, and as much as Tamaki deeply wanted to confess everything, he couldn't. "What is it, senpai? Maybe I could be of some assistance." "I'm afraid that you wouldn't be able to help. I'm sorry." The words seemed to stay in the air, almost like a fog. Haruhi nodded. "That's okay, Tamaki-senpai. Let me know if you ever want to talk."

She walked out of the room, every step making a click on the marble floors.

A tear splattered on a black key. Tamaki played Mozart's Sonata 11 until it was time to go home.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Today for the Host Club it was Circus Day. Hikaru and Kaoru had set up a large red and white striped tent with blue and yellow streamers cascading down the sides. Inside, the classic sofas were abandoned for antique benches. The snacks were also altered to fit the theme. Mori walked around with a popcorn cart, accompanied by Honey, passing out pink cotton candy, every so often trying to sneak a bite. The other hosts ran games. Hikaru and Kaoru ran the pop-the-balloon-with-the-dart game, which many may think that it would be hard to interject taboo romance. You would be wrong. Very, very wrong. Kyoya ran a petting zoo booth that boasted three rabbits, a potbelly pig, and a miniature horse, each with a red ribbon tied around its neck. Tamaki played a mime. He sported a white shirt with black slacks and black suspenders. He took the role seriously. He over exaggerated his actions, using his body to talk. The girls seemed to like this side of Tamaki. He tenderly caressed a girl's cheek. She nearly exploded with joy.

When Haruhi walked in, Hikaru and Kaoru bolted towards her. They grabbed her arms, backing her out of the tent. "Come with us." The twins said in unison. Haruhi stopped fighting it; she knew where this was going. They set her down in the coat closet at the back of the music room. "Put this on. " They handed her a red sequined suit jacket and slacks. Haruhi looked confused. Hikaru closed the door with one last remark: "You'll figure it out soon."

When she returned to the tent, all of the girls were seated in one half of the circle. A spotlight shone on Kyoya. "Ladies of Ouran Academy, the Host Club is pleased to announce, the Ouran Boys' Variety Show!" A smattering of applause filled the room. Kyoya exited stage left. Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai quickly replaced him. They had shed their vendor uniforms for deep purple robes, Honey's with an Bun Bun emblem on his left breast. "Ladies and Girls, Takashi and I are going to demonstrate our special magic powers!" There was an audible "Awww." Honey jumped on top of a just-placed table covered in a black velvet cloth. He gracefully sat cross legged. Mori-senpai said the magic words. "Abra cadabra." It was a rare occurrence that he spoke, so when he uttered the words, the audience was entranced. Honey strained, stretching his torso, trying to levitate. His face started to turn red. Mori touched his shoulder. "I think you've done enough." Pouting a little, he walked off of the stage platform.

Kyoya returned to the stage. "For our next act, Hikaru and Kaoru." The twins walked on to the stage. Both dressed in glittery green tuxedos. Haruhi was beginning to see a theme. Kaoru stepped forward. "For our act, we need a volunteer." With those words, every hand in the audience shot up like a rocket. "You, you there with the butterfly clip in your hair. Will you come up?" Her face lit up with an ear to ear smile. She took Kaoru's hand. "What is your name, young maiden?" He swung her up onto the stage, dipping her before setting her down. "Hanako. Hanako Animake." She said in a tizzy. "What a beautiful name." "Thank you." "No problem." He purred into her ear. "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." A warm sigh washed over the tent. Hikaru cleared his throat, slightly annoyed with Kaoru for not sticking to the script and trying to make people favor him. "Okay _Kaoru._ It is time for our act. Today we will be hypnotizing our beautiful Hanako." The noirette shook with anticipation. Suddenly, all of the lights turned off, and for some reason, that really freaked Haruhi out. A spotlight-which was nowhere to be found- shone on Hanako and the twins. Hikaru was holding a pocket watch about three inches from her face while Kaoru whispered in her ear. "Hanako, dear. Just look at my beautiful Hikaru while I say the magic words." The girl's face was stuck in a permanent awe-stricken look. The whole act was long and anticlimactic, ending in a slightly dazed girl clad in yellow and pink heading back to the audience blushing.

When free period was over, the Host Club started to clean up. Actually clean up. Maybe Haruhi got those rich brats. While getting her club members some instant coffee, she caught a glance of Tamaki in the corner of her eye. He was walking towards her. The tray was getting heavy, so she placed it onto a table still covered in popcorn. When she looked up the blonde was about five feet away from her. Haruhi's face lit up. "Hey Tamaki-senp-" She began just before Tamaki took her arm and pulled her out of the club room, closing the doors behind them. Grabbing her shoulders, he pulled her mouth to his, tangling his fingers in her neatly cropped hair. Haruhi froze, realising what was happening. She pulled back looking into the boy's eyes. She didn't know how to feel.

Startled.

Dazed.

Confused.

She felt all of those things. Not knowing what to do, she did the first thing that she thought of. Once again, she ran off, trailing down the empty hall. She wasn't going to show for lunch, or for social studies either, or for science. She was going to call her father and tell him to pick her up, saying that she felt sick. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to handle her feelings. She needed to think about what just happened. First though, she needed to study for her mathematics assessment, then for her Greek quiz. After that she needed to do laundry and cook dinner, pack her lunch for tomorrow, and get ready for bed. Haruhi was looking for excuses to not think about what just happened, but no matter what she was doing, her mind always drifted off. She found herself thinking about what would have happened if she had kissed back, if she had let Tamaki kiss her, wrapped in his soft embrace.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

AN: I AM SO SORRY! I know that it has been, like, three or four weeks since I last posted. I am so sorry, but I have been REALLY busy lately. I recently went on a class trip to Costa Rica, and I am graduating the 8th grade in a couple days. I will be posting a couple of chapters after this one so i can make up for lost time. Again, I am so sorry that I made you guys wait for such a long time. I will try to make sure that it doesn't happen again. Without further adieu, here is chapter seven!

Tamaki was questioning the situation.

Was this what going to be was like? Was this what it would always be? Was loving someone always this sad? This painful? Tamaki wondered what the answers to these was for what seemed like hours.

He had never been this depressed. He had never felt this lonely.

 _Not lonely. No. That implied a completely different feeling_ , He thought. He felt alone. It might seem normal for a sixteen year old boy to get upset about someone that he had a crush on, but this was different. Ever since the moment he met Haruhi with her messy hair and glasses, he felt something he never had before.

Tamaki always treated Haruhi like his daughter, wanting her to be careful around boys or make sure that she was safe. He disguised his romantic feelings with fatherly love. Tamaki tried to be discreet and often succeeded in doing so, but once in awhile he showed his true colors. Not around Haruhi, of course.

The twins knew more than Tamaki had bargained, and not long ago they ran into music room three holding a brown leather journal with the words _Tamaki Suoh_ written across the front in cursive script with his signature kuma-chan doodle next to his name. Hikaru and Kaoru chorused in unison. "Haruhi! We've got something for you!" Tamaki the realized what they were doing. He sprinted toward them, but before he could grab the diary, Hikaru held up one finger, signaling that he wanted Tamaki to wait. He then handed the book to Kaoru, who then tore out a page that was covered in neat writing.

Tamaki Suoh + Haruhi Fujioka

Haruhi Fujioka Suoh

Haruhi and Tamaki forever...

Haruhi never saw that page, and for that he was thankful. Hikaru and Kaoru though, that was another story. They continued to pester him about his crush on the cross-dressing girl. They didn't know. They would never know. He stopped thinking about that day. It made him feel more alone. Alienated, even.

He had never been in this position before. All he could do was cry, and so he did.

When the large grandfather clock at the end of his suite struck seven, Shima, the Suoh family's maid walked in, wearing a familiar scowl. "Master Tamaki?" She took three steps into the room before noticing that the boy was sobbing with his face in the pillows. "Yes, Shima? What do you need?" She talked in the most annoyed voice, like _he_ was causing _her_ to stress. "It is time for dinner. Please come down to the dining room." Tamaki wasn't in the mood to be with other people, especially his father.

He would ask him about his day at school. It was fine. _Lie._

He would ask if he had any homework. No. _Another lie_.

The rest of the meal would be eaten in silence. Then, Tamaki would go into the sunroom and play the mahogany piano. That one was his favorite in the house. That was the one that he started playing on. The one where his mother taught him _Mary Had a Little Lamb_ when he was just five years old. That piano was one of the only things that his father kept from France. He played piece after piece until Shima came in and told him that it was time for bed.

He wouldn't go to bed, though. He would lie on the floor in his room and stare at the ceiling. That was what he always did when he didn't know what to do. Tamaki kept thinking about that moment when he kissed Haruhi. That moment of perfection. Of bliss. The moment where nothing else mattered. It was only Haruhi and Tamaki. They weren't classmates. They weren't anything. They were just together.

And that was all that mattered.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

AN: That last chapter was something a little different! I am going to try to include some of you guys' suggestions. I have already started to format the text to the left of the page (Sorry if centering the text annoyed you.) I may be including an OC into the mix soon! Keep your ideas coming; PM me or write it down in the comments. Also, I am trying to fix the grossness of chapter 3's formatting. I have tried about six or seven times, but it's always there. I might just have to type it on site instead of copying and pasting it from Google Drive like I normally do. Another thing: THANK YOU FOR OVER 500 READS! I know that this is by no means a big deal in the world of fanfiction, but when I started this story, I was expecting, like, only 10 views and one comment that read " _u suck"_. Really though guys, I can't thank you enough. Okay, I'll stop my rambling and get on with the eighth chapter of _Feelings!_

 _BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

A half-awake Haruhi slammed a callused palm on the gray alarm clock. She swung her legs over the end of the bed and managed to stand up.

 _KRAK_!

The teeth clenching sound of glass breaking under Haruhi's left foot sent her backwards onto her bed. She peered over and saw her once spotless black glasses snapped in the middle with thousands of small shards of what used to be lens scattered on the floor. "Damn it!" She huffed, hoping her dad didn't hear her.

" _Swearing isn't lady like, Haruhi."_

Her father always said to try and stifle her. Ranka didn't walk in, so she took it as a good sign.

The glass didn't do anything but just barely cut her heel. The scratch broke skin. It stung, but Haruhi wasn't worried about the pain.

Those were nice glasses. They were a present from her father for getting into Ouran Academy. They were the nicest things that she owned, and even though that the Host Club supplied her with contacts, she wore the glasses around the house; it made her feel like herself again, and not someone who goes to a stuffy private academy. It would take Ranka so many extra shifts to pay for new ones. Haruhi decided not to worry about it now. She had enough to think about. With a careful swipe, Haruhi slid the pieces under her bed.

It was her normal waking time, about 5:30 in the morning. She usually used the time to study. She didn't have any tests coming up, so she didn't bother. Instead, Haruhi curled back up in her comforter, and just looked around.

She never really thought about her room, what it looked like or otherwise.

The small cubicle had stark white walls, one with the room's only window, with bamboo blinds rolled up at the top. It displayed a cascade of raindrops, some resting on the sill outside. The opposite wall had a calendar. It was one of the Host Club's leftover summer photo calendars. Each month had a picture of the hosts posing in different outfits with each other. Haruhi used it to record test dates and other things of that nature, and she never really looked at the pictures. Her bed was shoved in a corner. It was utilitarian. Plain gray bedding, white pillows, and her one stuffed animal; an elephant that her mother had given her before she passed away. Next to that, there was a rattan end table with a lamp, her Godforsaken alarm clock, and the case for her glasses.

 _God, those glasses._

Haruhi looked away, trying to forget about what happened before.

Her closet was in the corner. It was about the size of a shoebox. The garments inside were guarded by a pocket door. Haruhi didn't have many clothes, mainly because all of the schools that she attended required a uniform. She did have a few of her own outfits. Most of them were more androgynous which fit her style better than the flowy, frilly, pink things that her father bought for her. They were impractical. She much preferred cargo shorts and a sweatshirt to a flowery tunic.

Haruhi caught herself looking at the club calendar. This month had a picture of Tamaki on the beach flying a kite. He was wearing a pair of blue shorts, and a pineapple adorned Hawaiian-style shirt. The shirt's buttons were all undone, exposing his abdomen. He looked handsome in this photo, with the wind tousling his hair and the crystal clear blue-green ocean making his eyes stand out with a cerulean hue.

She stopped herself from getting lost in his ever-so-slightly sunkissed skin.

 _This is just one of the side effects from that kiss. I don't like Tamaki "I'm so perfect" Suoh._ Haruhi tried to make herself feel better about liking what she saw on the calendar. Haruhi caught herself looking at it again. And again, and again, and again.

 _Maybe I do._ This was her last thought before falling back asleep.

Haruhi must have fallen back to sleep. Ranka rustled her daughter's hair.

"Time to get up, Sleeping Beauty! You don't want to be late for the train."

The brunette groggily got up and stretched. Her clock read 6:47. She had to be at the rain at 7:15.

"I'm feeling sick, Dad. My stomach is in knots. Can I stay home today?" Haruhi didn't like to lie, but she wanted to have a Tamaki-free day. Ranka simply shook her head and made a disapproving noise.

 _Ugh._ Haruhi desperately wanted to stay in bed, but she didn't want to get scolded. Silently, she walked to her closet and pulled out her boy's uniform. It still carried the smell of popcorn from the last club gathering.

That scent reminded her of that moment in the hall with Tamaki. She wanted to forget that it ever happened, but it would stay in the back of her head. It would always remind her of what happened but never really did.

School was uneventful. It went slower than usual, which Haruhi was thankful for. Each class bled into the next, creating a never ending stream of facts and dates that she would have to study tomorrow morning when she woke. She wasn't really talkative in class today, but she never really was, except for the occasional comment with Hikaru and Kaoru. Sometimes she asked Renge for the date or if they had covered a topic before. Today, she just stared at the board and copied whatever the teacher write, ignoring any questions from her friends.

Lunch was normal. She ate in her usual classroom, rotating from one food to the next in robotic motions. She kept looking at the clock, each glance thinking that it was club time. She felt a mix of sadness and excitement when it finally was.

Seconds upon entering music room three, Haruhi was bombarded with four canvas bags and two red headed twins circling around her.

"Haruhi, we need you to go on a grocery store run!" Hikaru sang. They stopped right in front of her. "Here is the list. Don't forget anything!" Kaoru shoved a note pad sheet with the things that Haruhi needed to get in her hand.

Three cases of instant coffee (preferably Nescafé)

Commoner's ramen (beef, chicken, shrimp and green chili)

Five boxes of assorted cakes (chocolate, strawberry, lime, and cheesecake for Hunny, almond for Mori)

Thank you!

Haruhi looked at the paper and sighed. "Okay, I'll go." She tried to mask the fact that she was relieved to be alone for once today.

"Thanks, Haruhi! Make sure to be careful in the rain!" Hunny chimed in. He skipped towards the girl and handed her a pink and yellow umbrella.

She set her school bag down, took the umbrella and stuffed the shopping list in her left breast pocket.

"I'll be back!"

"Okay, Haruhi! Don't do anything that any of us wouldn't do." She scoffed.

 _That's going to be real hard,_ Haruhi joked to herself.

The trip didn't take that long; The tram was fast and the streets were clear.

It was unusually humid for mid April. The collar of Haruhi's shirt stuck to the back of her neck, where the point of short hair was matted with sweat. She shifted uncomfortably for the duration of the ride.

The market was practically empty, which only made her task easier. Since her mother died, she had the task of going to get groceries. Haruhi knew the aisles like the back of her hand. She had supermarket runs down to a science.

Coffee. _Check._ Ramen. _Check._

The only thing that stumped her was Hunny's cakes. She searched up and down the aisles scanning for the ornate packaging and fancy label. Haruhi had to ask someone to go to the back and check because they were one of the most expensive items in the store.

Once she paid and got her bags, Haruhi started to make her way to the automatic doors. She saw a fleck of blonde hair in the corner of her eye. She didn't think anything of it. She kept going. She smelled roses. The florist's counter was at the other side of the store. _It was probably that._ Haruhi turned her head to find a cowering Tamaki hiding behind an abandoned sample counter.

"Tamaki? What are you doing here?" A tinge of annoyance in her voice.

"The group wanted me to go to. They told me to make sure that you got what needed." He was lying. The club didn't even realize that he was gone. It didn't matter anyway, because the Host Club was having their weekly meeting. Tamaki usually wasn't listened to partly because of his pointless comments, and partly because Kyoya just didn't bother with his overly elaborate ideas.

"Well, I got what I needed. Thanks for checking up on me."

The whole situation was awkward. Haruhi didn't want to make the trek back to school with the boy that she ran away from. Twice. Just the prospect of being within ten feet of each other for more than five minutes made her cringe.

After what seemed like an hour of staring at the floor, the two started towards the automatic glass doors. The rain was coming down harder than before. Coming out of the door, without any prompting, Tamaki pulled his jacket off and held it over Haruhi's head, protecting her from the downpour.

"Thanks, but you don't have-"

"Don't mention it."

The walk was almost painful. Haruhi felt as if they were in a small box, suffocating with tension. The two remained silent until they reached the tram station. The streets were clear, no sounds of footsteps or people talking on their phones, it felt as if they were the only two people left in town.

Tamaki turned to the pale girl with quickly reddening cheeks.

"Haruhi?"

"Yeah?"

"Never mind,"

The blonde shuffled his feet on the wet sidewalk.

"Okay."

He started before she finished. "Can I tell you something?"

Haruhi looked down, trying to fight her curiousness. "Sure."

The rain started come down in thick sheets, giving away to rumbles of distant thunder. She immediately pushed herself towards Tamaki. Shielding herself with him.

"I love you."

Haruhi looked up. "You what?"

He didn't bother to repeat himself. "It's okay if you don't feel the same way. I understand."

The tram came to a creaky stop, destroying the place that was just theirs. While taking the step onto the vehicle, Tamaki was pleasantly surprised by the warmth of a hand grasping onto his. He turned around, looking at the girl that he had fallen for, and smiled. She smiled back, gripping his hand harder. The ride back to school was silent, with the exception of quiet classical music being played by the driver. Every time thunder clapped or lighting struck, Haruhi buried her face into Tamaki's shoulder. This was perfect.

This was the start of something special.

Tamaki just knew it.


End file.
